. Posted by Sherrie Thai by Shaireproductions.com . Below are some photos from my trip to Cambodia (Phnom Penh and Siem Reap).
The full photo albums can be seen on Smugmug and Flickr
Siem Reap: Angkor Wat . Bucket list item–check! So surreal and amazing to visit this sight in person after countless hours of researching and dreaming.
Siem Reap: Bayon Temple (with 200 carved faces) . Exquisite temple–timeless heavenly sculptures that have seen years of history, struggle and survival. Unfortunately, there are Buddha sculptures within these temples that are headless–due to the Khmer Rouge/Pol Pot Regime decapitating them to be sold on the black market for weapons in the 70s.
Siem Reap: Ta Prohm (where “Tomb Raider” was filmed–this & “Angelina Jolie” visits are apparently huge selling points throughout Siem Reap). I love how the trees envelope the sculptures and buildings–it’s almost magical in this interplay of nature and architecture.
Siem Reap: Evening Scenes (Pub Street, New Market and the Red Piano). I adored the energy seeming through the bustling streets and stunning smiles of the locals.
Phnom Penh: Royal Palace
Phnom Penh: City Streets. Great contemporary art and crazy traffic!
Phnom Penh: Genocide Museum & Killing Fields
Very emotional to see these two sites and to fully realize how my family and 2 million other people suffered from the hands of the Khmer Rouge/Pol Pot Regime. The Genocide Museum is treated with reverence. After all these years, it’s interesting to see blossoming trees in the courtyard and small farm animals making these once-horrific spots their home, as a type of reincarnation of life, even forgiveness.
. Art by Sherrie Thai of ShaireProductions.com
This piece was inspired by the stories of my family–of tragedies from the hands of the Khmer Rouge (Pol Pot), military intervention, and refugee camps. Different times beget different circumstances, but overall, history repeats itself. In a general sense, this piece is also a commentary on the atrocities of war, power, and corruption. Because this artwork comes from a very personal space, it holds great sentimental value. My family is ethnically Chinese, but have faced the same atrocities as Cambodians and Vietnamese from the Khmer Rouge. Modern Pan-Asian pollination has unified different cultures through basic life experiences. Sparked by personal events and a sense of self-exploration, I’m glad to have finally created the first (in hopefully–many) artistic tributes to my family and culture: The Heritage Series.
The initial illustration on the right is graphite on vellum. From there, I scanned in the artwork, collaged patterns (created from my brush pen) and digitally colored the piece. In many of my mixed media pieces, I tend to leave certain areas in grayscale. I’ve always loved juxtaposing detail with simplicity–in concept or through visual elements (Graphic Alchemy). While the Buddha monument is in the foreground, it’s mostly monochrome–the viewer gets drawn into the detail, and not distracted by color. Although color can be a powerful tool, I like to emphasize the simplicity of the subject matter by taking color away. View Larger Version